Masquerade
by Song Angel
Summary: Draco Malfoy is seen as a traitor by many people in the wizarding community so he mostly keeps to himself. At the ball to celebrate the fall of Voldemort, he dances with a mysterious woman that captivates him. What will he do when he realizes who she really is?


_Here is a little one shot that's been in my brain. I had initially planned to make a larger story, but I chose to condense it since I have a few other projects going. I hope you enjoy it. Please review to let me know how I did._

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><p>Draco looked around at the crowd of masked witches and wizards. While the idea had repulsed him initially, a masked ball had it's benefits. Though he had escaped prosecution as a death-eater, he was viewed as a traitor by most; The Dark Mark on his forearm branding him forever as the enemy. In his mask, he was just another anonymous, albeit wealthy, wizard.<p>

He moved freely through the crowd, at ease with social interaction. After all, he had been raised in high society. He had to admit that it was a relief to not see judgement in the eyes that met his. Most people wouldn't expect him to attend a ball celebrating the five year anniversary of the fall of Voldemort.

Of course, Harry Potter, ever the saint, had personally contacted him about attending the ball. Draco found it rather nauseating that bleeding-heart Potter was such a do-gooder. However, Draco couldn't quite find it in himself to hate Harry as much of that goodwill had been directed at him.

Draco could easily spot Harry's messy black hair across the ballroom. He rolled his eyes, wondering why Potter never bothered trying to control his hair. Before he could give it further consideration, his eyes fell on the young woman was dancing with. She was a brunette, so that ruled out Ginny Weasley. Draco spotted Ron Weasley nearby, dancing with a young woman with curly brown hair. That had to be know-it-all Granger.

So who was Potter dancing with? She was graceful and her bright smile seemed to make the room feel more inviting. She wore a pale blue, satin ball gown that accentuated her curves and made her skin appear luminous. Potter muttered something in her ear, making her laugh. The sound was joyous and almost musical, leaving Draco with a strong desire to snatch her away from Potter and discover her identity.

The young woman graciously accepted a dance from man after man. She didn't appear to be overly flirtatious, but she was obviously well liked. Draco couldn't imagine why he would suddenly be so intrigued by a woman that he didn't know.

Draco frowned when Harry caught his eye and gave a little nod of greeting. Draco returned the nod, pleased that the woman took notice of the exchange. She was sipping from a flute of champagne wearing a pensive frown.

Draco's attention was diverted for a moment by an old witch complimenting his taste in dress robes. Once she was finished admiring the expensive fabric and intricate stitching, he thanked her as politely as he could manage and turned his gaze back to the mystery woman. She wasn't there!

With a silent huff of frustration, he scanned the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. After several minutes, he nearly gave up. He was surprised when he realized that Harry had moved to stand right next to him. Harry smirked slightly and gestured to the wall opposite of where they were standing. "She's over near the window," Harry said.

"Thank you," Draco said quietly, relieved, his eyes fixed on the far wall. He turned, intending to ask who the woman was, but Harry Potter had already disappeared into the crowd again.

Determined, Draco made his way across the ball room. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so full of curiosity. He found the young woman quite attractive even though most of her face was covered by a mask. It would drive him mad to go home without having learned her name.

He was relieved to find her in front of a large window. She was chatting easily with three other masked women. She gazed out the window from time to time, her body swaying slightly to the music.

Burning with the desire to discover her identity, he drew in a deep breath and moved closer. The women paused in their conversation to eye him curiously. "Please forgive the intrusion," Draco said politely. He was dimly aware that the women were sizing him up, but his focus was on the young woman that was suppressing an amused smirk. "May I?" he asked, holding his hand out to her, one eyebrow raised in challenge.

The lovely young woman blushed prettily, placing her hand in his. She ignored the surprised expressions of her companions. Draco led the woman to the dance floor, pulling her closer and into his arms.

"I was wondering if you were going to stop staring at me long enough to ask me to dance," she said softly.

"You've managed to keep me quite distracted," Draco told her, smirking at her blush. "Who are you?"

The woman tilted her head to one side with a playful smile. "Now, that would ruin the fun of the masquerade ball," she said.

"I disagree," he retorted with a frustrated frown.

"Be patient," she said gently. "You'll find out soon enough. Besides," she added with a sigh, "you may not like me very much when you find out who I am."

Draco frowned at that. "I highly doubt that will be the case," he said, sliding the hand on her waist to her lower back. He eyed her thoughtfully. "Where do you work?"

"At the ministry," she replied simply.

"Which department?" Draco prompted, trying not to seem overly eager but failing miserably.

"Patience," she chided with a soft laugh. She grinned when he frowned. "I never thought I'd see Draco Malfoy pout." She laughed at his look of shock.

"You know me," he said, a bit concerned. Most people at this celebration would give him a wide berth. His name was synonymous with evil and dark magic, the opposite of Saint Potter. Nearly everyone that opposed Voldemort viewed him as a traitor. It didn't seem to matter that he had only been a student at the time, or that his family was threatened.

He was a bit unsettled when he reluctantly met her gaze and saw sympathy in her kind smile. "It wouldn't be fair to judge you based on the past," she said quietly. "And it's a bit irrational to punish you for your father's choices."

"The general public is not usually rational when it comes to the war," Draco pointed out, rolling his eyes.

She smiled at him. "I'm not the general public," she reminded him.

The pair talked in this way for quite some time, discussing every topic that Draco could think of. The woman was clearly well-bred and very intelligent. Her kindness and pleasant disposition were very appealing.

Near the end of the ball, everyone began unmasking. Draco hesitated, knowing that most people were unaware of his identity. He wasn't keen on revealing himself in the presence of such a large group. The woman seemed to understand this and led him through the doors. They stepped out into the night air, stopping to sit down on a bench under a large tree.

Draco tugged his mask off and turned to look at the woman. She looked a bit nervous. He thought this was odd. Who was she, and why would she be afraid to reveal herself to him? He was a bit of a society outcast, while she was clearly well liked.

He reached up and carefully pulled the mask off of her, watching as she closed her eyes tightly for a moment. When she opened them, her eyes met his, and he froze.

"Granger?" he blurted out in shock. "What are you... I didn't... What are you playing at?" he finally managed, scowling defensively.

His harsh tone stung. "I'm not playing at anything," she retorted, her tone icy. "I was at the masked ball, dancing with friends. You were staring at me. You were all alone. You wanted to dance with me, so I let you." She frowned at him. "Harry wants everyone to give you a chance. This was my opportunity to give you a chance. You spoke to me and danced with me with no preconceived notion of my blood-status or house rivalry. I had no motive other than to be kind. You seemed like less of an arrogant twit tonight, but even I can be fooled."

She stood up and started to move away, but he caught her hand hastily. "Wait," he said quietly. "I apologize. I... Well, I was shocked." He sighed as she reluctantly sat back down. She didn't seem to notice that he still had her hand in his. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"For one, it hardly seemed like a good idea to make a scene in front of that crowd," Hermione said frowning. "I also wanted to give you the chance to show that you could be a decent." She paused and blushed. "Part of me wanted to wanted to show you who I am without the muggleborn stigma."

Draco remained silent for a few moments. He looked down and saw that he still held her hand in his. He withdrew his hand reluctantly, trying to focus his thoughts. It had been kind of her not to draw attention to them. He was sure that she was as aware as he was of the reaction he would likely get if his identity had been revealed at the masquerade ball. It's likely that he would have given himself away with his reaction to her identity.

He glanced at her with a sigh. She had made a fair point. He had been completely enchanted by her without knowing who she was. His first impressions were that she was a well-bred and sophisticated woman.

He looked up too meet Hermione's eyes and nearly winced at the wariness he saw in her expression. "I apologize for my tone," he said quietly. "I was just surprised." He sighed and shook his head, looking suddenly amused. "Potter knew that I was staring at you all night. He could have clued me in."

"I think Harry was hoping that you'd see past your prejudice," Hermione said softly. "He's wanted to give you the chance to redeem yourself."

"He probably shouldn't try so hard," Draco said shaking his head. "My family, and most of the wizarding world for that matter, wouldn't approve of a... friendship between us."

Hermione tilted her head to one side and gave him a smile that made his chest feel oddly tight. "I won't tell if you won't," she whispered. She stood up and watched him as he stood as well. "I have to get going. Bye Malfoy."

Draco watched in bemusement as she started to walk away. "Will I see you again?" he called after her.

She twirled around to face him with a grin. "Who knows?" she replied with playful shrug.

Draco watched her leave, and sighed. He was startled when he felt someone pat his shoulder. He turned to find Harry Potter standing just behind him, smiling. "She's a wonder," Harry said fondly. He shot a knowing smirk at Draco before moving away. "Have a good night."

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><p>Draco sat at his desk in the Improper Use of Magic Office, and tried to focus on his work. He had spent a few days trying not to think about the Celebration Ball. This plan was dropped when he looked up and saw Potter and Weasley walking by. Potter paused when he spotted Draco and smiled. "Got time for lunch?" Potter asked.<p>

Draco hesitated, looking at Weasley uncertainly. Ron simply looked at him expectantly. "Sure," Draco replied. He made a few last notes on his parchment and set it in the folder on the desk.

The three men walked down the hallway together. Draco frowned and looked at Harry. "Where are we going?" he asked. "I thought you were having lunch."

"We are," Harry said, not making eye contact.

"We have to get Hermione first," Ron said in a tone that suggested he was stating the obvious. "She'd probably go for days without eating if we didn't stop her from time to time."

Draco swallowed, surprised by his sudden anxiety over seeing Hermione. In his mind's eye, he could see her twirling around in her lovely blue gown with that bewitching smile.

Hermione's desk was a bit untidy. Harry and Ron had left in a hurry to deal with some problems, leaving Hermione with their morning paperwork. She was sitting in her chair, scribbling notes into files and then stacking them into one of three piles. She looked up impatiently when she noticed that she had an audience. She blushed slightly when she realized that Harry and Ron had brought Draco with them.

"Time for a break," Harry said gently, tugging the quill from her fingers and closing the folder she had been working on. He took hold of her hands and pulled her from her chair. Hermione grumbled a bit, but allowed the men to lead her away from the desk. She met Draco's eyes for a moment but quickly looked away with a blush.

The next few months were interesting, to say the least. Hermione and Draco saw each other frequently at work, never speaking of the ball. They were polite and professional. However, it wasn't long before Draco grew tired of the tension. Tossing his pride aside, he started sending her letters via owl.

The first letter had left Hermione stunned for several minutes. It was extraordinary only in that he sent it at all. The letter itself was simple and a little bit awkward. He spoke of work and the book he had started reading but said little else. Following his lead, Hermione wrote him a similar letter.

It wasn't long before Draco's letters became more personal and he even commented that he wished to see her. While gratified by the sentiment, Hermione refused to entertain the idea of meeting in secret. She felt certain that such an arrangement could only end in heartache. So, she did her best to ignore the attraction she felt toward Draco and continued to write to him as if he were simply one of her dear friends. They never spoke of their letters to their friends.

Draco took her most recent letter to work with him. He had not had an opportunity to read it entirely. He would be seeing her when they went to lunch with Harry and Ron, but they were never as open in person around other people.

He sat at his desk, unable to focus on his work as his thoughts kept straying to Hermione. He failed to notice when Harry stepped into the office and walked up to his desk. Harry glanced at the desk and immediately recognized Hermione's handwriting. He smirked when Draco noticed his presence and jumped slightly.

"I didn't know you two were writing to each other," Harry said lightly. "You see her nearly every day, but you don't seem to have much to say to each other." He glanced at the letter, noting that it was fairly lengthy. "I can see you two have plenty to say, just not face to face."

Draco rolled up the parchment with a heavy sigh. "It's complicated," he muttered.

Harry pulled out his wand and closed the office door, casting a spell to prevent anyone from hearing them. He pulled another chair up to the desk and looked at Draco seriously. "Don't toy with her," Harry said firmly.

"I'm not," Draco said defensively. He paused for a moment. "At least, I'm not trying to. I'd like to see her outside of work."

"But not where anyone else can see you," Harry said flatly. "I know you're family has certain expectations and society isn't so forgiving. But, keeping a friendship secret is bad enough. She won't go for more than friendship if it has to be a secret. That's just a fact. It would be too painful and doomed to failure." He pinned Draco with a stern glare. "Figure it out. Keep your father's approval or be with Hermione. She won't be single forever. She's desirable, and other men have noticed."

Harry stood up and left the office, leaving Draco to his thoughts.

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><p>It was time again for the Celebration of the fall of Voldemort. Since it had been such a hit the year before, the Ministry held another masquerade ball. Draco arrived feeling a bit anxious. He had secured a promise from Hermione to dance with him at least once. He had even asked her while they were all at lunch together, suprising Ron who had promptly spat water all over the table.<p>

He saw Harry Potter enter the ballroom, escorting two women. One had flaming red hair, the other was a lovely brunette in an emerald green ball gown. That had to be Hermione. Draco couldn't resist going to her, so he made his way across the room to stand in front of her.

The delicate golden mask on her face couldn't hide the amusement in her eyes. He held his hand out to her, his stomach clenching slightly when she placed her hand in his. Harry winked and then ushered Ginny to the punch bowl.

"You look dashing," Hermione commented with a grin.

"Thank you," Draco said. "You look amazing. It's been far too long since that last time you were in my arms." He smirked slightly when she blushed.

The evening seemed to fly by. Draco was almost constantly at Hermione's side, as if he was trying to make up for the last year.

Ron was staring at the pair in shock. "Did I miss something?" he asked Harry.

"Not really," Harry said chuckling. "Malfoy hasn't made a move because of his family and well, everyone else. If he doesn't do something, someone else is gonna snatch Hermione up."

"What the hell does his family have to do with it?" Ron asked with a snort. "Was he planning to share?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "His family would not approve," he said impatiently. "It'll be tough to keep the peace if he goes against his family's wishes. And a lot of people still think he's a traitor." Ron nodded sympathetically, his eyes straying back to where Draco was twirling Hermione around the dance floor.

Hermione sighed as Draco drew her close to himself. "We don't have much longer," she said softly.

Draco stared at her for a moment, frowning in thought. "I don't particularly like our current arrangement," he admitted. "I don't want to only see you at work and send letters."

"I can't Draco," Hermione said, sounding on the verge of tears. "I can't be in a relationship that has to be hidden away. I understand your reasons and I respect them. But, I can't do it."

"I don't want you to," Draco said hastily. "I hate keeping my distance. I don't want to run from this and I don't want to lose you."

Hermione stared at him in amazement. Her brained seemed to have stuttered to a halt and she couldn't think of a response. She glanced around and realized the everyone had begun unmasking. She could see Lucius Malfoy's long platinum blond hair not far away, watching his son with interest. He was, no doubt, wondering who his son had spent the evening dancing with.

Hermione looked up at Draco to see him reaching for his mask. He nodded for her to do the same, his smile both excited and nervous. At the same time, they pulled off their masks, smiling at the surprised gasps from the people surrounding them.

Draco stared down at Hermione looking relieved. He cupped her face along her jaw line keeping his eyes on her as his father approached.

"Draco, what are you doing?" his father hissed.

"I'm going to kiss the most amazing woman I've ever met," Draco said. "Sorry Father. I don't see things the same way you do." Lucius scowled but said nothing since he was surrounded by so many observers.

"Is this ok?" Draco asked, drawing her even closer. "I'd hate to sully your spectacular reputation."

"Think of it as improving your own reputation," Hermione replied with a cheeky grin.

Draco pressed his lips to hers, unable to resist any longer. He stroked her cheek with one hand while the other cradled the back of her head. He pulled back slightly and let out a shaky breath. "Give me some time Hermione Granger, and I will make you my wife," he whispered.

Hermione sighed in contentment just before his lips descended on hers again. Harry stood nearby, smiling his approval. He looked around at the others and waved his hands dismissively. "Move along. Nothing to see here," he said loudly. He took note of some scandalized expressions, and Lucius Malfoy certainly did not look happy. However, there were a great number of people that seemed to accept this development since Harry, clearly, was not bothered.

"Let's get out of here," Draco said softly, resting his forehead against Hermione's. "We've got to make up for the last year. And I was serious about marrying you."

"Then I guess we should get started," Hermione replied giggling. She snuggled into his side as he wrapped one arm around her and led her out of the building.


End file.
